


Literature and Film 2320

by of_shadows_and_wolves



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, In which Percy just needs one more english credit and Vex loves movies, Multi, Past Abuse, Past Torture, Scars, rated m because this will get steamy at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2020-10-21 14:00:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20694707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/of_shadows_and_wolves/pseuds/of_shadows_and_wolves
Summary: “Oh I am so fucked,” Percy thought to himself as his stomach clenched and his mind went through the various things to say that weren’t, “Hey, I know we’ve only just met but I think I’m in love with you. So anyways what movie do you want to write a 10 page paper on?”OR: In which Percy is only taking this stupid Lit class because all he needs is one more English credit before he can focus on the classes he wants to take. But when he gets paired with the strange and striking Vex'ahlia his whole world starts to change. For the first time in gods know how long he begins to feel a connection with someone other than his far-away sister. For as long as he could remember he had been hiding in the college town of Emon, away from his past, his first home, and all of the problems that came with it. But as the events of his past begin to rise up in his present Percy finds himself with no one to turn but this stunning girl and her odd group of friends.EDIT MADE TO CHAPTER 8 (3/25/20) [paragraph added to the end]





	1. Horror Movies and First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys this is my first Critical Role fanfic so I hope y'all enjoy!

When the professor announced that Percy was going to be doing a group project with the girl named Vex’ahlia, he made sure to look discreetly enough that he could gauge her reaction. Her eyes roved around the room looking for his raised hand, and when she found it they widened just a moment before starting to roll. He grinned softly to himself before chuckling under his breath. That was the reaction he had been expecting.

He had seen that particular look enough times that when the hurt came it wasn’t very painful. Her’s was the look that said “Oh joy, I get to work the pretentious white boy aren’t I so lucky.” He had seen it enough times during his time here at Emon University that it just rolled off his back, or at least that’s what he tried to make himself believe.

It wasn’t their fault of course, if Percy had seen some white guy walk into an 8 a.m. class in a waistcoat with a silver pocket watch, and stark white hair to boot, he would automatically hate him as well. But then again, he thought that every time he looked in the mirror.

Surprisingly enough though, Vex’ahlia was the one to walk up to him. “Vex,” she said softly, holding out a hand. She was dressed for completely the wrong season, in a black and white striped long sleeved shirt that showed a rather wide stretch of her toned stomach, a pair of dark cutoff shorts, and a light black jacket was tied around her waist. Long dark curls were pulled back in a braid that hung gracefully over one shoulder and three large blue feathers that Percy thought may have once belonged to a blue jay were pushed neatly into the hair on the side of her hair. A brush of dark eye shadow and sharp eyeliner highlighted her brown eyes and her dark red lips were turned in a small frown. She was easily the most striking and gorgeous woman he had ever seen.

He tried to hide his momentary gawking and pushed himself out of his seat.“Percival,” he stumbled pushing out his hand with what he hoped was a kind smile, while also noticing that she wasn’t that much taller than he was. Her nose twitched for just a moment and Percy was so impressed with her not fully wrinkling it in disdain that he added, “You can call me Percy though.”

Her shake was firm and self-assured enough that it caught him slightly by surprise. Her hand didn’t feel as he had expected either, as there was a smattering of calluses along her first two fingers that rasped dryly along the back of his hand and it was much warmer than his own. In addition, the tawny gold-brown skin stood out so starkly against his own it almost looked like his hand was made out of paper. He looked up into her face and found that her eyes were a striking umber with flecks of golden amber that he hadn’t noticed while sitting down. They stared at him with a soft intensity that made his heart stutter for moment in his chest.

“Oh I am so fucked,” Percy thought to himself as his stomach clenched and his mind went through the various things to say that weren’t, “Hey, I know we’ve only just met but I think I’m in love with you. So anyways what movie do you want to write a 10 page paper on?” 

He suddenly became aware that he had been shaking her hand for a lot longer than was strictly necessary and immediately pulled his hand away. They stared at each other just long enough to make the awkward moment even more awkward. 

“So,” he started, “What do you want to do this project on? Are there any movies that you already know really well, or anything?” He went on to say more but was cut off as she began to laugh with a slightly hysterical fervor.

She sat down next to him clutching her stomach, and Percy suddenly became very aware of the fact the tables in this classroom weren’t nearly as large as they should be. Her knee pressed softly against his own and even through the fabric of his khakis her could feel her heat. She was also still laughing even after the fifteen seconds that had passed since he asked her that question, and if it wasn’t for the fact that her laugh was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard he would have assumed that she just might be laughing at him. 

“Sorry darling,” she gasped, her laughter still infused in each word, “It’s just that in my friend group that’s something of a loaded question.” She sucked in a breath before giggling just a little bit more and shook herself making her dark curls strain against the tight braid. She looked up at him with a grin and he realized that when she smiled, her cheeks dimpled. Oh yeah, Percy was well and truly fucked. 

“My favorite movies are mostly bad sci-fi flicks and cheaply done horror movies with terrible effects,” she said leaning her chin on her fist, a cocky grin exposing a set of perfect white teeth, “And I will argue with just about anyone that the Exorcist is the greatest horror film ever made.” 

That on the other hand made Percy grimace slightly. He had seen enough horror in his past that the idea of purposefully watching someone’s life be ruined by events, supernatural or otherwise, was enough to make his chest ache. Vex must have noticed his misgivings about this because her smile vanished, “We could always do something else though if horror movies make you uncomfortable. I’ve just always thought that horror was a good way to examine what the public fears and relate it back to the historical events that are going on at the time of their creation.” But even Percy in his drunken stupor over her could hear that there was a note of disappointment. 

“Oh no, we could do a horror movie,” Percy stammered trying to come up with something coy and clever to say, to hide that fact that he would gladly watch anything if it meant she would be happy, “I’ve just not seen a whole lot of horror, I’m afraid. Honestly, I haven’t really seen a lot of movies.” 

That didn’t bring the grin or the dimples back as he had hoped and instead she frowned again,“Why are you taking a Literature and Film class if you don’t watch movies?”

“I needed another 2000 level English course for my major and the 18th Century British Literature class I wanted to take got canceled last minute,” Percy said with a shrug. This made Vex roll her eyes and he mentally kicked himself. “I take it you aren’t a fan,” he said trying for it to come out as coy but knowing that it came out as more of a letdown. 

“I’ve found that the 18th century is full of too many white men who hated women and loved to stroke their own ego,” Vex said testily, drumming her fingers against the table, “Also most of the books are not all that well written and they all certainly lack a basic understanding of how to write a female character.” She looked at him again her eyes flashing with disdain that he hoped was aimed not at him but rather the authors 

“Fair enough,” Percy laughed weakly, “You would be most correct in that regard.” His mind raced trying to come up with someway to convince her that he was only wanted to take it because he had already read most of the books growing up and figured it would be an easy A, “But I liked the professor who was supposed to teach it and he told me that we were going to be discussing the various folktales and fairy tales of Britain as opposed to the actual literature.” This seemed to calm Vex’ahlia but her frown didn’t vanish. Percy sighed internally as she pulled out her phone and started tapping on it softly. “Perhaps we could watch a remake of one of those books and simply tear the author and the director apart for its awfulness,” he offered hoping to make her laugh, but she just shrugged offhandedly looking down at her phone. 

“Give me your email address, I have to get going to my next class,” she said all business now, the laughter and mirth gone from her voice. Wordlessly he wrote it down in his notebook and tore it out. She took it, her eyes still locked on the screen and stuffed it into her pocket. “I’ll send you a list of movies tonight with some links to summaries that you can look through and let me know which one you like.” With that she rose like a dancer to her feet and slipped out of the room, her hips swishing softly amidst the other students who were racing to leave. 

“I am so so very fucked,” Percy whispered when the room had emptied of everyone but him and the professor, “So very very fucked.”


	2. Chemistry, Engineering, and Other Ways to Kill Your Classmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I was not expecting people to like this as much as y’all have this is just awesome!

Despite Percy’s best efforts he couldn’t focus on the rest of his classes that day. Had it not been for the red haired girl who sat near him during his Chemistry practical he would have, as the professor put it, “Killed everyone very quickly and very painfully!” So he was fairly sure he hadn’t done very well on that. 

As bad as that was his Engineering class was even worse. The thing about this class was that Percival had a work study program with Professor Taryon Darrington, where he aided him with the various projects he was working on. And while they had only been working together for the last two semesters Taryon had become more than aware of Percy’s talent in engineering and mathematics. Knowing this and learning that Percy would be taking his class, he told Percy that he would be adding wrong information during his lectures to keep him on his toes and help to test him on his knowledge. Percy has agreed to this readily, more than happy for the challenge. 

And on most days he was capable of paying attention. But instead today all he could think of was the girl he had been paired with. The graceful curve of her thin neck, the soft planes of her muscled stomach, those intense brown eyes, the music of her laughter. All of the things he wanted to do for her, the things he wanted to make for her, the things he wanted to do…

“Percival my boy!” A sudden voice came in interrupting Percy’s thoughts before they turned, “Where in God’s name was your head today? I made no less than 5 mistakes and you said absolutely nothing! By God if we had actually been building something this class you could have killed someone!” 

Well so much for not killing people in both my classes, Percy thought to himself but instead offered rather lamely, “Sorry Professor, it’s just been one of those days.” 

“I don’t believe that for even a second Percival,” Taryon snapped waving his hands around. It was a rather comical display in his opinion as the blonde man was several inches shorter than Percy and when he waved around his hands his blonde hair tended to fly about giving him the appearance of an angry fluffed up duckling. 

Had it not been for Percy’s excellent poker face he probably would have started laughing which would have prompted Taryon to continue berating him. “Look Tary I don’t know what to tell you,” Percy stated, “I just have found I haven’t been able to concentrate very much today. I formally apologize for any problems that may have caused and I promise you that I will do better tomorrow.” 

“Oh quit it with that nobility act boy, you forget I was raised with it too! Whoever this girl is that you’ve found yourself enamored with you’d better deal with it,” He started, poking him angrily in the chest, “And wipe that look off your face, I was young once too.” He sighed heavily, even as Percy flushed crimson at being so easily seen through. “Look Percival, I know this is probably, no definitely, your first time noticing a woman before but don’t lose your head.” 

Too late for that, Percy thought as Taryon went on explaining about his future and all the things that he could do if he didn’t let himself be distracted, I do believe that she already has me wrapped around her finger. 

“Just who is this girl anyway?” Taryon asked snapping his fingers in front of Percy’s face to get his attention back. 

“I highly doubt you know her,” Percy said taking off his glasses to clean them nervously on the edge of his coat. He didn’t want to tell Taryon about this...this...what the hell even was this? Infatuation? Love at first sight? Whatever it was Percy didn’t want people to know about it, much less his boss. But even as he thought this her melted caramel smooth voice wormed its way through his thoughts, bringing with it the image of those intense eyes that seemed to look into Percy’s very soul. 

He shook himself down and started collecting his things, shoving them into his bag with a tad more force than necessary. “Honestly Professor,” he said not looking at the other man, “You don’t know her and I would rather not…” 

“Percival!” 

“My god her name is Vex’ahlia,” Percy snapped, shutting his laptop with much more force than was called for. But he really didn’t want to talk about this. He didn’t want to remember those eyes or that laugh, not when he could tell that she wanted less than nothing to do with him. 

“My god you know little EG!” Taryon cried making him jump nearly out of his skin, “Oh this is just perfect!” Percy spun around staring in shock at Tary trying to understand just how a professor would know a student well enough to call them such an odd name. It was then when it really clicked that Taryon, despite his tenure status, was only four or five years older than Percy. 

Could I have been like him, Percy asked himself watching as Taryon leapt around the empty room talking to himself, ”if my life hadn’t gone how it did? He didn’t think that he would have tenure status at one of the best schools in the country, but there was a chance he would be further along in his studies. Hell he could have been on the trek to becoming a professor. 

Stop it Percival, Percy snarled to himself, there’s no point in thinking of what could have been instead of what is! 

“I would appreciate it Dr. Darrington,” Percy said using the name that Tary hated, “That you do not speak of this to Vex.” 

The name had the right affect as Tary immediately stilled and turned to face Percy again. “But, but Percy,” he stammered, “Don’t you want to…” 

“What I would like is to go home and sleep,” Percy interrupted, “Vex’ahlia is only working with for an assignment and I am not about to make it any more than it is.” 

“But Percival.” 

“But nothing Taryon. All this is is a group assignment and that is all it will be.” 

He was being an asshole. He knew that he was being an asshole and yet, he was just too tired to care right now. This day had drained him and all he wanted was for it to be over. 

Taryon watched him for several very long seconds, a sage expression on his face. “You’re young Percival,” he started and raised a hand when Percy started to interrupt him, “Let me finish. You’re a young handsome man and you have the right to have an infatuation over a beautiful young woman. For once my boy get out of your own head! I won’t speak to Vex of this but I do believe that you should talk to her, she may even surprise you.” Tary walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Please Percival, let yourself be happy for a change.” 

Percy stares at him, his pulse racing. Did Tary know more about Percy than he was letting on? Did he know about his past? 

“Perhaps you’re right,” Percy said turning away from him and pulling his bag over one shoulder and loping his coat over an arm, hoping that his voice wasn’t shaking, “I’ll let you know how it goes.” 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Tary called as he walked out, “I will hold you to that!” 

Percy didn’t go back to his empty apartment in the end. As he stood staring into space on the bus ride home he decided that he needed to do something, something that would wear him out so that his brain wouldn’t keep him awake the rest of the day. So instead of getting off at his regular stop he let the bus take him another three stops until he came to a nondescript metal warehouse that squatted between two towering office buildings. 

As he stepped off the bus and walked the ten feet to the front door the acrid scents of metal and burning smoke assaulted his nostrils. The smell only strengthened as he pulled open the door and breathed out a sigh of relief feeling his body relax for the first time since that morning. He nodded to a short woman who sat behind the desk sharpening a small knife. “Good afternoon Karen,” Percy greeted resting his forearms on the counter, “Gorgeous knife, is that Damascus?” 

The woman, Karen, looked up and her face broke into a wide grin, “Percival! And here I thought you had forgotten about us at your fancy college!” 

Percy laughed, feeling tension he didn’t even know he had been carrying relax. “I was only gone for three weeks!” 

“Three weeks too many!” She snapped waving the knife around before putting it down and walking around the desk to give him a hug, “You’re next creation had better be for me young man!”

“Fair enough,” he laughed returning the hug, “For you I shall make you the world!” 

“Oh come off it,” she chuckled slapping him playfully on the arm and walking back to her seat, “Now go on and make whatever odd thing you have trouncing about in the mad head of yours.” 

He ended up staying at the forge much later than he had intended. What he planned to be an hour or two of just messing around turned into four hours of muscle burning work with a backdrop of classical music that pulsed its way through his headphones. By the end of it his back and shoulders ached from trying to thin the metal to the point where he could carve the designs into it. That part, which would have driven most people out of his mind with the number of times the metal cracked or warped, was the most satisfying for him. It was so meticulous and challenging that for a few hours he forgot about Taryon and his maybe knowledge of Percy’s past and Vex’ahlia and her branding gaze. He hadn’t even known what he had been making when he started but by then end his three gorgeous creations sat in front of him, steaming softly as the cooled next to the quench tank. 

As he stared at them he knew exactly why his subconscious mind had made them and just who they were for. “Oh yeah,” Percy whispered to strips of metal, “I really am fucked aren’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for this I’ve decided to make Taryon a couple of years older than the rest of VM and make him a little bit wiser to the way of the world than he was when they first met in the show. Also if you remembered who Karen was then you’re awesome!


	3. Nightmares in Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning! This chapter contains a look into Percy's past and is really heavy. There is death and blood and mentions of past torture. IF you are not comfortable with that do not read this chapter.

Percy was the third child in the family of De Rolos and as such his place at the table reflected that. When the whole family gathered around the table at night to eat together he would always sit next to Vesper. At either end was his parents, his father on left side, his mother on the right. At his father's right side was Julius, the eldest and most likely to inherit the company, next to him was Vesper, a young Percy. The came his mother next to him at the other head, and on her left side sat the last four; Cassie, closest to her because she was still just a child, Ludwig, then the twins Whitney and Oliver, with Oliver sitting to his father’s left. 

Seeing all of them was odd in and of itself, but the real shock came from seeing himself sitting there. Percy stared at the young version of himself in a daze. It was mind boggling to look at this Percy but not Percy. His hair hadn’t turned white yet and his eyes weren’t filled with the melancholy that always seemed to look out at him from the mirror. Percy watched as Not Percy fiddled with a small contraption and made notes in a slim notebook on his lap, his dinner left cold and barely touched in front of him. His mother not mother chastised telling him to eat but Not Percy waved her off still taking down notes. Talk to her, Percy wanted to scream at this not version of himself, talk to her before it's too late! 

But it was already too late as that was when the murders started. 

It began with his father, a black form manifesting itself out of thin air, and shooting his father point blank in the back of the skull. Blood sprayed out across the table but no reacted. No one except for Percy who was begging, pleading, screaming for them to turn around, run away, do something! But his cries couldn’t even make it past his lips, as another shot rang out and his mother died in an explosion of blood and brain matter. 

Mother with a third eye opened on her forehead, the bullet falling with a clink to a porcelain plate. 

Julius with a grinning smile permanently carved into his throat. 

Vesper gurgling as three holes pumped blood out of a ruined chest. 

Oliver and Whitney screaming as two bullets lodged themselves in their skulls, taking them out of this life as they came in, together. 

Ludwig gasping in an almost amusing gasp as, like the older brother he idolized so much, a grin was carved into his throat. 

Cassie’s chest torn open but a hundred thousand bullets forcing their way out through her small body.

Percy was forced to watch all of this from the outside, as Not Percy pleaded for help from smokey apparitions and suddenly he was Not Percy. His chest burned as he ran full tilt down the hallways of his childhood home. Behind him, voices shouted and laughed telling him the running was pointless. In front of him open doors exposed the twisted tableau of his family’s demise, playing on over and over and over. But still on and on he ran, taking turns and twists that should have led him to freedom but only ever to more hallways, more open doors, more death. 

And as bad as all of that was, it all became worse when she stepped out from behind a dark corner. “Come Percival,” Dr. Ripley crooned, her painted red lips pursed up in a horrible rendition of a smile, “You still need to help me with my experiments.” 

Percy whimpered, now 14 again, his body coated in the slashes and blood that came with Anna’s “experiments.” He wanted to curl up and cry, he wanted to go to his mother and tell her he loved her and let himself be wrapped in her embrace. He wanted to go to his father and hide behind his legs and let him deal with the horrors of the world like he always did. He wanted Julius to take the brunt of Anna’s wrath as he would have if he was alive. 

“That is of course, you want dear sweet little Cassandra to fill in for you,” she purred, placing a hand tipped in bloody polish on Cassie’s head. Cassie who’s chest had been destroyed, Cassie who should be dead, Cassie who couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t deal with this. 

Percy was on the operating table screaming through a cotton gag as Ripley opened him up to see what made him tick. As she carved away sections of skin and muscle to see what would happen. “And now for the most exciting part,” she whispered into his ear, “Let’s see what truly does go on inside that head of yours!” 

He woke with a start, great heaving gasps forcing themselves out of his lungs. He tried to thrash around and push off the restraint tying him to the operating table but his body wouldn’t move. His lungs still worked and his eyes could open (he always knew his eyes could open) but the rest of his body was a seamless prison he couldn’t escape. 

He tried to calm himself, pleaded with his lungs to slow down his breathing, begged his heart to slow down but to no avail, screamed at his stupid stupid brain to stop producing adrenaline, but it was all for nothing. His body was captive to panic, still believing that he was still in Ripley’s clutches. 

“Come now Percival,” a new voice purred into his ear, making his blood, once so hot and fast, turn to ice in his veins, “Why do you struggle so much.” 

Don’t open your eyes, he chanted to himself, don’t open your eyes! 

“Percival,” the voice chastised, all deep baritone and smokey bass, “Look at me.” Percy kept his eyes close. Don’t open your eyes, don’t open your eyes, don’t open your eyes, don’t open— 

“Aww but Percival,” it sounded so sad as it crooned in his ear and Percy felt as something pressed down on his chest, “I have a present for you my dearest friend. Just open your eyes and see.” 

Don’t open your eyes, don’t open your eyes, don’t open your eyes! 

But Percy was weak, as he always had been he was weak to the voice’s wishes. He opened his eyes. There before him a being made of smoke and claws and beaks and horrible gnashing teeth sat grinning at him, all sharp fangs and bloody talons. And on his chest, where he had felt the weight, sat Vex’ahlia’s head, her face contorted in agony and pain. 

That finally broke the spell on him and he lurched out of bed, making the vision, the head, the being, all of it vanish like mist on a hot day. But he barely saw it in his haste to get to the bathroom before his stomach finally rebelled and hot bile forced its way out of his stomach. 

He stayed there, his head jammed in the porcelain bowl, for well over an hour waiting for the retching and the burning bile to subside. Each time he thought it had finally abated the memory of Vex’ahlia’s severed head or Cassandra’s ruined body would rise like a demented phoenix from the ashes of his nightmares and bring with it a fresh wave of bile and nausea. 

When finally the last of his nausea burned itself away Percy was even more of a shaking mess then he had been when he had awoken. His throat ached with the acidic residue of the bile and the taste had coated his tongue with the taste of burnt rubber. His head throbbed in agony with each frantic beat his too frantic heart, and all of his scars felt like they had been reopened even though they had been healed for years. 

Percy struggled to calm down all while his rasping breaths made his chest ache and burn. He needed to...he needed to...what in the hell did he need to do? He couldn’t focus over the sound of Ripley’s laughter echoing around in his head. He needed silence, he needed to calm down, he needed to get his head in order. 

He spent hours there, curled up on the hard tiles of his bathroom, twisting in and out of consciousness. His subconscious and conscious minds mingled with each other filling his waking dreams and resting nightmares with horrid visions. He dreamed of when Ripley had carved her initials into the skin over top his heart. 

“So you always know who you belong too,” she had purred, cutting into his flesh with the scalpel as he screamed in agony, “So you can never forget that you are mine!” 

That had been the worst thing she had ever done to him. The scars, the wounds, the threats, they had all been terrible but those two letters had left him with more than just scars on his psyche. They had left scars on his very soul. Percy didn’t have a single mirror in the apartment, all because of those two scars on his chest. Every time he had seen them, without fail had left him as he was now, a blubbering, weak mess of a man. 

It wasn’t until the pale gray light of dawn drifted in through the bathroom window that Percival finally cast off the shackles of the night. His body was cramped and aching from the time spent on the floor, but his scars didn’t burn anymore. His mouth tasted bitter and sour from the vomit, but his throat didn’t burn anymore with the acid from his stomach. His chest ached but his breaths were smooth and even now. 

With several groans of protest he rose off the floor, whimpering as his muscles barked and whined in pain. He peeled off his pants which clung to his sweat soaked body and half climbed, half fell into the shower. He stayed there for a long while, just letting the warm spray of water sooth his aching form. Afterwards, still soaking wet, he stumbled back to his bedroom and fell into his bed and let himself drift into a black, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This one took a while for me to write, but hey I hope yall enjoyed it! Next chapter will be lighter I promise!


	4. A Gray Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this taking so long, college had been long and hard. But hey its also a lot longer than the other ones so silver lining. Hope you all enjoy!

The last time Percy had slept later than 7:30 in the morning had been when he was a toddler. So when he finally woke up just after noon he was understandably off kilter. He couldn’t remember a time when he had slept in and everything about it felt off. But then again, he wasn’t sure if that was from the previous night, or from his late rising. 

It had been a long time since he’d had a night like that, longer still that he had gone through it alone. But it hadn’t been that long since he had one of his Gray Days. A day when his head was a sack someone had filled with wet sand and hung up on an iron spike. A day where he felt unbalanced, strange, and not quite alive. A day where he felt like a stranger inside his own skin. The soft silken feel of his blankets were a siren song to him. 

“Come and sleep,” they sang, their smooth softness caressing and soothing his battered mind, “Rest in us.” His eyelids began to grow heavy, his muscles soft and pliant. He could sleep a little bit more, he didn’t have anything he had to do today. He could always just email Taryon later and tell him that he wasn’t feeling well… 

Sleep was so close to overtaking him, that naturally real life decided to butt in. His phone began to chirp and beep at him relentlessly, and even in his barely there state he found it annoying. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know you want attention,” he snapped, snatching up the phone and glaring at it. This effect was immediately lessened as after a moment of glaring, Percy realized that he couldn’t actually see anything and had to group blindly around looking for a pair of glasses that weren’t where they should be. He found them a few minutes later, somehow stuck between his bedside table and the wall and pushed them haphazardly onto his nose.

Immediately, everything came into sharp focus and he saw this his bedroom was in a state of disarray. Sheets and bedding were knotted up around the floor. His lamp had been knocked over in his haste to get to the bathroom last night. In general, everything was a mess. 

He waited for that sense of unease to come in that normally came when he let his room get messy. He waited for that need to have clean space creep it’s away into his mind. He waited for the gray clouds to be cleared from his mind. But none of those things happened. 

He found that he didn’t, no couldn’t, care about it. Nothing mattered to him right now, not himself, not his cleanliness, nothing at all. All he wanted right now was to stop, stop existing, stop being. With another glance around the room and a soft sigh he looked back down at his phone, still giving the occasional buzz to remind him that he had unread notifications. 

He had three new emails and two missed text messages from Taryon, all of which came in at about the same moment, which explained why his phone had a noisy fit. He breezed over the texts which said something about how Tary had to go back home for a few days to take care of his mom and that he had the next week and a half off until he got back. The first email was just college nonsense, asking Percy to come to “FUN FUN FUN NIGHT!!!!!” which he immediately deleted. The college was always doing nights like that and Percy learned after his freshman year that they were not the kind of events he wanted to attend. If he wanted to be surrounded by half drunk, sweaty bodies he would go to a frat party. 

However, the other two emails were much more interesting. They were from a v.vassar both with the header “Movie Project” and it took him a few heartbeats to remember what that meant. Quickly he opened it and scanned it over. The first one was just a short list of links with what he assumed was to the different synopsis for the movies she had mentioned. However, it was the second one that managed to peak his interest even on this gray day. 

It was short, barely more than a line or two but even still it was enough. “Hello Percival,” it read and somehow he could almost imagine that it was Vex’s voice that he read it in, “I will be in the Cobalt Library this afternoon at 1:30, want to meet up and discuss the project?- Vex”. 

Percy wasn’t naive enough to read too deeply into it, but well, he’d be lying if he said that the thought of seeing her didn’t send a small thrill through his veins. And well, it was just a simple project, one that only needed them to see each other in class. They could watch the movie separately, read the book separately, write the paper over Google Docs. They didn’t actually have to meet up outside of it, and yet she had asked anyways. Maybe it was something, maybe she wanted to be friends? The thought of seeing her again, of hearing her voice, of maybe even hearing her laugh… He glanced up at the time and saw that it was only a quarter to one. 

He still had some time.

He could get their early. 

Plan out how to interact with someone. 

It wasn’t the first time he had faked his way through a Gray Day. 

He sat their for some time, becoming slowly aware of the fact that his blankets were still fairly damp from sleeping on them soaking wet. He ran his hand along them, feeling the way they clung slightly to his fingertips. He brought them up to his face and saw that small droplets of water had coalesced onto them. He laid back down. 

“You could stay here,” he whispered, making the clouds in his race and move amongst his thoughts, “You could stay here and not move. Just lie here and let the world go on.” 

He stood up and approached his closet. 

“You don’t have to go there, just tell her you’re busy.” 

He put on underwear and pants. 

“Just stay here, just lie back down.” 

He buttoned his shirt and tied on his tie. 

“Let the world go on without you Percy.”

He laced on his shoes and buttoned up his waist coat. 

“Go back into your room Percival” 

He called his Lyft and put on his coat. 

“Turn around.” 

He left the house. 

He didn’t remember the name of his driver. He didn’t notice himself getting in the car, or exchanging meaningless pleasantries with the nameless man. He spent all the time in his head, trying to remember how to smile, how to laugh, how to speak with someone that wasn’t himself.  
When he got to campus he didn’t notice the people walking around him. He didn’t notice the skittering the dry leaves made on the concrete. He didn’t notice when someone brushed past him. He was still trying to remember how to plaster on a smile. 

He didn’t remember until he got to the library. And it was only when he heard the hushed sounds of two women chatting that he actually knew how to change his memory into reality. 

“A white haired boy who always wears nice suits,” came a voice that Percy felt he should know, “Yeah I know him I think.” 

Remember to smile Percival, the voice of his father whispered as Percy stopped to listen in more. It didn’t make sense to Percy that he should care, he was dead. 

“He’s in my chem class,” she continued, “Actually I think I saved his life the other day, we were doing this project and he almost mixed these two chemicals together that would have made mustard gas.” 

Be coy! Women like coy, Julius shouted after him as he walked out from behind a row of books. Percy wondered why it was always the Gray Days that they decided to talk with him and not the other days. 

He plastered a smile onto his face as Vex and the redheaded girl from his chemistry came into view, still not having noticed him. “Well now,” he started making them jump and swing around to face, “In my defense, what Professor would think that having the components for mustard gas available and not warn his students about it was a good idea?” 

Redhead gaped at him and glanced back to Vex, “Vex that’s him! That’s the boy!” 

“Yes darling I gathered that,” Vex deadpanned resting her chin on one fist. She was dressed slightly more normally for the weather today, in a pair of leggings and a shirt, that same dark coat slung over the back of her chair. 

Vex stared at him with those dark eyes, her head cocked to one side in a decidedly birdlike fashion, and Percy had the inexplicable feeling that she could see the clouds and sand that filled his mind. He looked away.

Percy looked instead at the redhead, Keyleth, and held out a hand. “Percival,” he said in a smooth voice that years of high society training had taught him. She knows, she knows, she knows. That was one was the twins Oliver and Whitney, they were always the most vigilant.

“Oh, uh it’s Keyleth,” she stuttered taking his hand in hers. He didn’t feel it. 

She looked back over to Vex and shared a look that Percy couldn’t understand in his current state. “Well Vex,” she started, “I’ll see you tonight at the family dinner yeah? Grog said he’d be making something special for your birthday.” He was supposed to say something to that, he thought. What did you say to someone on their birthday again? 

Vex nodded but didn’t look at her, but rather continued to stare at him with those piercing eyes. Percy noticed now that she had some kind of tablet in front of her, an unfinished but frighteningly intricate drawing on the screen of something he couldn’t make out, a discarded stylus next to her hand. 

“You must not have gotten my email,” she said her eyes softening every so slightly, “I have to take my dog to a vet appointment.” 

Of course she does, Anna whispered, Who would want to spend time with you?“That’s perfectly fine,” he said, trying to ignore her even as she created more and more clouds that choked off what little light made it through, “Maybe we can meet up tomorrow.” 

He started to turn around to go, to go away from this strange girl who could see the clouds in his head when Keyleth piped up. “Oh you should come to dinner with us tonight! You could work on your project there!” 

Percy was very certain that both him and Vex turned and gave her the same look at the same time. A look that said “what the hell are you doing we barely know each other?” But whether she didn’t understand or just didn’t care she continued on with a, “Yeah, you should totally come!” 

Percy glanced over at Vex to try and see what she thought of this but her face was impassive and blank, or maybe it wasn’t. Percy couldn’t remember what emotions looked like right now. “I wouldn’t want to impose,” he started trying to keep his voice even.

“Oh no you wouldn’t be imposing,” Keyleth assured him, “Plus think of it as a way of thanking me for not letting you kill the whole class!” Somehow, and he wasn’t at all sure how this happened, that brought a slender shaft of light through the gray. 

“So my thank you to you would be allowing you to give me free food?” he asked coyly, and this time it was only mostly forced coyness. He looked back over at Vex who had returned to staring at him. “Are you and the rest of your family ok with a total stranger coming?” Say no, say no, say no, he silently pleaded with her. 

She regarded him long enough that Percy imagined that even Keyleth was starting to sweat a little before finally, “You know Scanlan has brought stranger people than you over, I don’t see why you can’t come.” 

This wasn’t how today was supposed to go, it was a Gray Day. He was supposed to curl up in bed and wait for the clouds to abate. He was supposed to listen to the voices of the dead and gone until they faded alongside the clouds. 

And yet, he couldn’t just say no. Not when he swore that there was a little bit of hope in Vex’s eyes. “Then it would be my pleasure,” he said softly, giving a small bow. Her resulting laugh made the shaft of light grow just a little bit. 

“Great email me your address and I’ll pick you up around 6,” she laughed rising to her feet and pulling on her jacket, “It’ll be fun!” As she stood up she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, gave it a light squeeze, and moved her head in close, “And if you want to talk about what’s wrong, just let me know.” With that and a much less touchy goodbye both girls walked away. 

Percy watched as they vanished behind the various bookshelves and waited until he was sure they were gone. “Looking forward to it,” he let himself whisper and somehow he found that that wasn’t even a lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments give me life and make me work more on the stories so if you feel up to it just leave one.


	5. In Which, Percival Makes Plans and They All End Up Going to Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Rises from the ashes with no coffee* I should probably be sleeping right now but instead I'm not.

When his parents told him that they weren’t going to be sending him to any kind of fancy schools and instead choose to send him to the local school they told him two things that he had never forgotten.The first was long and complicated. “You need to know who it is we work with here in Whitestone,” they had told him, “Just because we run this place doesn’t mean that we are any better than them. Always remember that all people are just that, people. Treat them well and they’ll treat you well.” The second was simply, “With a good plan anything is possible.” 

Percy has taken both of these things to heart, but he didn’t truly understand either of them until he was in his first year of school. Now, his parents kept their workers in the town with more than enough money to get by. High wages, sick leave, benefits and retirement plans; simply put they treated their workers much better than many other companies. But, there were always those times when the unexpected happened. Death, bills, and the like happened and despite everything his parents offered the people of Whitestone were a proud folk who didn’t always want aid. So there were times when ends didn’t quite meet and sacrifices had to be made. 

And so the day came when Percy discovered that one of his classmates, a tiny slip of a boy who he had barely even spoken too, didn’t get anything for his birthday. This shocked him, everyone should get something for their birthday, he had thought to himself on the way home from school. And so he began to plan. 12 hours and several small fires that his parents had to extinguish later he came to school with two dozen chocolate chip cookies and book that Percy thought the boy might like. Even though they had never talked Percival was a perceptive youth and had a fairly strong idea of what the boy had liked. 

That had led Percy down a path that no one had seen coming. For the next 8 years Percy got every single one of his classmates something for their birthday. Some of them were grand, stacks and stacks of books and comic books. Some of them were small, a fresh batch of home-baked cookies or brownies or cake and a drawing of them that Percy drew himself. And some of them didn’t even really make any sense to anyone other than the person receiving them. But what mattered was that they all came from the heart, and everyone knew that Percival de Rolo was someone who cared about people, regardless of how well he knew them. 

So yeah, Percy was no novice when it came to planning. For the next few hours after leaving the school, despite the clouds that still taunted him, he had forced himself to plan out the potentials for this dinner he was now attending. 

He planned out possible conversations that he might have. “No I just met Vex through a group project in our English class,” he would laugh, “How did you meet her?” Or, “Oh me? I’m just from a small town in Maine, you’ve probably never heard of it. And, you’re from where now? Oh that sounds like a lovely place! What was it like growing up there?” 

He spent well over an hour washing, cleaning, and preparing himself. He shaved the several day stubble that had begun to accumulate on the sharp angles of his jawline. He brushed his hair and set it in place with enough hair gel that even a 50’s housewife would be impressed. He went over every single item of clothing in his wardrobe trying to figure out what would be most appropriate to wear. His tux was too severe, but his blue suit was too informal. Perhaps his white shirt and the ascot? Oh, and he could wear those black chinos that Cassie had gotten him for Christmas last year, and the gray waistcoat, that with his blue jacket should be formal enough. But wait, what kind of restaurant was this again? 

Those thoughts and more plagued him as he spent the bulk of his time trying to figure out what to wear before finally deciding on a simple but stylish pair of black khakis, his gray waistcoat and a white dress shirt. That topped off with an ascot that had once belonged to his grandfather and his glasses which he had polished to a glimmering sheen, he felt that he looked good enough and had enough ways to circumvent any conversations about him or his life to just barely, barely make it through this night alive. So finally, at a quarter till six Percy buttoned up his coat, tied on a scarf and headed out the door to wait for Vex.

But nothing could have prepared him for what Vex’ahlia drove up on when she finally arrived just after six. Now, Percy was no stranger to planning. He had planned for her to show up in a maserati. He had planned for her to show up a bucket of bolts that ran on faith. He had even planned for her to show up in a stolen car with the police on her tail. But he had not planned for her to show up on a motorcycle that looked like it had been made back when his father was his age. 

The screeching and angry monstrosity was a strange mix of chrome and tan painted steel. To him it looked like someone had started to make a bike but then halfway through decided that it should be a motorcycle instead.The wheels were shoddy and used, but still seemed fairly functionable and the seat looked like it was large enough for two. Embossed onto the side, in sloping and curling calligraphy were the words “Death from Above” in white ink. 

Percy gaped at the thing without actually trying to gape at it. He kept his mouth closed and his forehead smooth, but he doubted that he could keep the shock (and maybe just a bit of awe) out his eyes. Vex pulled it to a screeching halt barely even a half a foot away from him and with a flourish pulled the helmet off her head before shaking out her shiny black tresses. Percy found it even harder then to keep the awe off of his face as just that simple thing sent a bolt of pure longing into his heart. 

She placed the helmet between one arm and looked him up and down with an appraising eye. “So,” she started, her voice smooth and full of confidence, “Looks like Keyleth owes me some money.” 

That managed to bring Percy out of his stupor, if only to shove him firmly right into confusion. “I...what now?” he stuttered, still trying to straighten out his thoughts between her unnaturally good looks and the shock of her showing up on a motorcycle. 

“Oh Keyleth bet me that you own more than just,” she paused then once more eyeing him up and down, a look on her face that Percy couldn’t quite understand, “Well more than just suits and ties.” 

Percy noticed then that she was still wearing what she had been earlier, only now she had traded her black coat for a leather one with a snarling bear painted onto the back. He looked down at his dress pants and dress shirt and felt very very foolish. 

“I um, can go change if you give me a few moments,” he blurted, feeling his face flush in a blush so hot that he prayed to every god in the world that Vex couldn’t see. 

But she just laughed him off and waved a hand. “No darling, I think you look rather dashing actually. Now then, get on, I don’t want to be late.” And with that she tossed him her helmet and started up the motorcycle again with a roar that made Percy jump. 

He stared down at the helmet in his hands. 

He stared back at her. 

Back at the helmet.

Back at her. 

She laughed again at whatever look Percy had plastered onto his face. This was not how this was supposed to be going. He was supposed to be charming and debonair, not stuttering through every sentence. He forced himself to swallow and very carefully climbed onto the back of the motorcycle, making sure to leave more than enough room between him and Vex, before clenching his hands around the underside of the seat. After that, he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for Vex to pull off. 

He tensed, waiting for the screeching sound of burning rubber to echo off his ears, but nothing happened. Tentatively he opened his eyes to find that she had turned around in her seat and was now staring at him, one fist propped up under her chin, with eyes that danced with amusement. Percy blushed again, somehow even hotter than before. 

“Now, I know we’ve only just met but unless you want to go flying off as soon as I move I would recommend you grab onto me,” she said coyly, raising one eyebrow. Tentatively he moved forward until he was barely a hair's breadth away. With a nod, she turned around. Hands shaking and very much aware that he had never planned on being this close to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Now remember,” she said, louder than normal so she could be heard over the whine of the engine, “Hands to yourself. Unless of course you ask.” 

Before he even had a chance to fully process what she had said, she pulled away from the curb with a screech of rubber and his hands tightened harder on her waist. He swore that he could feel the rumble of laughter that vibrated through her as she pulled out his parking lot without even pausing at the stop sign. 

Percy very quickly came to the conclusion that Vex’ahlia, beautiful, deadly Vex’ahlia, was an adrenaline junky. She took corners and turns at breakneck speeds, weaved in and out of traffic, and very often speed through yellow lights just as the began to turn red. Needless to say that the gray clouds that still hung around his head in a blanket of misery, didn’t survive the trip up. All of it was blown away by the racing winds, and the snap her long hair in the breeze. 

And honestly, Percy found that well, he didn’t exactly hate it. It was exhilarating and empowering and more than a little terrifying. But it was like all the times when he done experiments in his youth, the rush of leaping, lunging, headfirst into the unknown without even a backwards glance. 

It helped, of course, that Vex was warm and soft beneath him. More than once he found himself wishing that he wasn’t wearing the helmet if only so he could press his cheek to her back and breathe in her scent. But then again, maybe it was good that he couldn’t do anything so creepy. 

After much less time than Percy was expecting, Vex pulled the bike into a relatively small parking lot and he got his first view as to where it was that she had taken him. The building was surprisingly squat and made of burnt red bricks. The door was a deep black wood that shone with polish, and above it a large sign read simply The Alehouse. Percy blinked up at in shock. 

“Your family,” he started before wrenching off the helmet that was muffling him, “Your family eats at the Alehouse?” He had heard of the Alehouse of course. Hell, everyone in Emon had heard of the Alehouse. Despite being built only a few years ago it had managed, in that short span of time, to become one of the biggest and most popular restaurants in the whole city. The waitlist was so long that even now most people had to make reservations months, if not even a whole year in advance. 

“Actually,” she said cutting off the engine, “They own it.” Percy gaped at her, she said it so casually as if she was saying that they worked at a diner or fast food place. Not a five star restaurant. 

Percy stared at her, unable to keep the shock off of his face. “Your family owns the freaking Alehouse!?” 

She laughed at this and stepped off the bike with all the grace of a ballerina. “Well, they’re not actually related to me by blood,” she said, holding out her hand to help him off, “But we’ve known each other long enough that we may as well be.” Percy stared as he climbed off, the simple neon shine of the sign momentarily lighting up her face in a blur of reddish light. 

Stress and worry immediately began to worm their way into his stomach. He hadn’t planned for this. He had planned for a diner or another simpler restaurant, not the gods damned Alehouse! Vex must have picked up on this as she patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, they’re loud and obnoxious but my friends are good people, and I’ve already made them promise to be on their best behaviour.” She looked up at him, that same knowing smile on her lips. “It’ll be fine.” 

Percy gave her what he hoped was a smile, but figured was probably more of a grimace. She laughed again at him before looping an arm through him and guiding him into the door. 

Now, Percy had planned for a lot. He had planned for them to be going to a diner. He had planned for them to be going to a relatively fine dining place. He had planned for Vex to pick him up in a maserati or in a bucket of bolts. He had planned for rain, for snow, for sun. He had planned and planned and planned. Now, of course there were hiccups, like Vex showing up on a motorcycle and taking him to the fucking Alehouse, but those were small things. 

But what Percy hadn’t, and wouldn't have planned for was what came next. As Vex opened the front door and led him past the waiting area, Percy mentally went through his topics of conversation and his introductions. He could still keep those the way they were. But as he looked down at a large table in the middle of the room he didn’t see the three other people sitting around it, talking and laughing. No, all he saw was the small woman that sat off to one side of the table.

Her hair was long, and a blonde so pale it was almost white, and pulled up in a tight bun on the top of her head. Her eyes were a piercing blue and she was dressed in a pair of light blue scrubs. As he entered her eyes swiveled towards him, a smile in them. A smile that quickly faded, replaced instead by recognition, then confusion, and then finally shock. Percy imagined that she must have seen much of the same on him.

Because there, sitting no more than twenty feet from him, was the doctor that had stitched Percy back together after he had escaped Anna’s clutches when he was 14.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long but college is hard. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but hey if you loved it let me know! And if you hated it, also let me know!


	6. Meeting the Family is Rarely Ever a Fun Experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finished my semester with straight A's and an acceptance letter to my transfer school. So how do I celebrate? By making my white haired son sad. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished my semester with straight A's and an acceptance letter to my transfer school. So how do I celebrate? By making my white haired son sad. Enjoy!

_ Percy had only managed to escape because of luck. That much he had always known. It was only luck and human oversight.  _

_ But he had done it. He had escaped Anna and her soldiers. He had escaped the scalpel and that bloody operating room. He had escaped the tiny cell and the tear soaked mattress. He was finally away from it all.  _

_ The snow was warm and soft beneath him, a comfortable blanket that sang to him drawing him into sleep. His body ached and pulsed in pain, between the different chemical, electrical, and heat burns, the lacerations both old and new, healed and fresh, and of course, the bullet that was still lodged somewhere in his shoulder. But even that was being slowly being drawn out into the freshly fallen snow. River water lapped along his legs, just as warm and as inviting as the snow beneath him.  _

_ He knew that he shouldn’t rest here, that her men were still combing the woods for him but he was so tired and the ground was so inviting. He turned himself over onto his back, making all of his wounds and hurts scream out in a moment of blinding pain. But when he saw the sky he knew that moment was all worth it. He smiled to himself, his eyes wide and unbelieving as he beheld the miracle above him.  _

_ The stars were falling.  _

_ Hundreds of thousands of them floated down out of the sky in lazy arcs. Their trails burned white and bright as they drifted towards him, heavy and fat in the still night. The moon looked down upon it all, a full and wondrously golden eye. As the stars fell they reminded Percy of the kind of snow he and his siblings used to play in all those years ago. The fluffy wet kind that could easily be shaped into snowballs or snowmen. They would spend hours playing in it until they finally came inside, exhausted and soaked to the bone. But Percy knew that they were stars drifting out of the sky not snow. That kind of snow wouldn’t fall anymore, not with his family dead.  _

_ He stared at them for hours and hours, watching each one of their paths burn it’s way in the midnight sky. And eventually he heard it, the soft crunching of boots on undisturbed snow. The soldiers had found him. He waited for the dread to begin to grow in him but it never came. He couldn’t bring himself to care even as the footsteps grew louder and closer. The stars were starting to fall faster now, their paths brighter and brighter even as the world started to fade around the edges of his vision. And when the footsteps finally came to him and he felt arms wrap themselves around him, he allowed the warm snow to lull him finally to sleep.  _

That memory replayed itself in Percy’s mind as he watched Dr. Pike Trickfoot slowly make her way over to him. She hadn’t changed much in the last ten years. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled up into two separate buns and tied off with a pair of silken blue ribbons. Her short stature was the exact same and she walked with a purpose that came from always being the shortest person in a room. She was even dressed in a pair of almost identical scrubs as she had been when he had woken up in her care. 

_ “My name is Pike,” she had said to him, a massive smile on her angelic face, “What’s your name?”  _

But that smile wasn’t on her face now. She looked at him with a strange mix of trepidation and confusion, which very likely was reflected on Percival’s own face. Dimly he was aware that the laughing and talking in the room had gone silent and that Vex was trying to get his attention, but his eyes and mind had tunneled in on every single one of the doctor’s steps. Even as each one led her closer to him. 

As she neared he tried to get himself together, to pull himself together, but his mind was in shambles. No, it wasn’t just his mind that was in pieces it was  _ everything _ . And just as he finally decided to close his eyes, something else happened that he never could have guessed. 

He was suddenly wrenched off his feet, the floor vanishing and the world going black. A powerful pair of arms had wrapped themselves around him and were squeezing him with such a pressure that he was sure his head was going to pop off like a bottle rocket. The strength of the hold was enough that his chest constricted and he felt his lungs struggle and fight for air. This was it, he was finally going to die. Not by Ripley or the Briarwoods, but by some stranger. He closed his eyes, waiting for the final squeeze that would end him. 

“PERCY WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WERE GONNA BE COMING TONIGHT,” a voice by his ear shouted, and he felt the pressure begin to lessen and shift from around his chest to his waist. It was a familiar voice, a deep and powerful baritone that had always struck Percy as being faintly British in origin. But why on earth would he be here of all places? 

Tentatively he opened his eyes and was met with the wide smiling face. The man’s head was shaved smooth down to his skull revealing the light brown skin beneath. A thick bushy black beard hung off his chin, and a pair of dark brown eyes staring brightly into Percy’s own. He glanced down seeing two tree trunk sized arms covered in intricate tattooing and Percy suddenly knew who this was. “Ph-Philip?” he gasped, going to fix his glasses which had been pushed askew but finding that his arms were still pinned down to his sides, “Philip what the hell are you doing here?” 

This made the large man grimace somewhat and pull him in closer until his mustache was tickling Percy’s ear. “Me name’s Grog ‘round here,” he whispered, but it was still loud enough that Percy gathered everyone else could hear too, “I don’t like reminding ‘em that Philip’s my real name.” Percy just stared at him aghast. 

“Now Grog I have a feeling that you’re cutting off this nice man’s air flow,” the soft lilting voice of Pike chuckled from somewhere far below him. Immediately Philip, no  _ Grog _ , set him down softly onto his feet, rubbing his neck with one hand and apologizing for the scare and the crushing, and muttered something about needing to grab the food before retreating sheepishly into the kitchen. 

Percy rubbed at his side looking around to see that everyone was now staring at him with vastly different expressions on their faces. There as Vex who was regarding him with a strange expression that Percy didn’t even want to try and place. There was Keyleth who was looking overjoyed to see him there and was frantically waving at him. The man on Keyleth’s left was sitting on the table, one knee propped up under his chin watching the unfolding scene with a gleeful expression. While on the other side of Keyleth, a man dressed in all black clothing with long dark hair loose around his shoulders, was staring at him with a simmering intensity that told Percy that he was not at all liked or wanted in this place. And of course directly in front of him, giving him no way to hide or run, was Pike. Percy swallowed thickly suddenly wishing that Phil… no Grog godsdamnit, hadn’t left. His eyes roved the room looking for some escape or way out of this terrible situation. 

“Well, Mr. Percival de Rolo, it’s good to see you again. You’ve gotten taller,” Pike’s voice pulled his gaze back down to her and he found that she was watching him a small smile on her lips, one eyebrow up, and her arms folded neatly across her chest. 

“Dr. Trickfoot,” He stumbled, “It’s good to see you as well.” He needed to get out of here, he needed to go home. This was too much, all of this was too damn much. He needed,  _ needed _ , to get out of here. 

“So now,” a new voice broke in, smooth and polished to a knife’s gleaming edge, a voice that was chillingly similar to Vex’s own only harsher and colder, “Just who are you? And how is it that you know so many of our little family?” 

Percy turned seeing the darkly dressed man who a moment ago had been sitting next to Keyleth. Percy stared at him, he hadn’t even heard him move and Percival was normally so perceptive. As he stared he noticed something strange, he looked uncannily similar to Vex. 

“Back off him Vax, my brother dearest,” Vex said snaking one hand around the man’s neck and giving Percy a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, “He’s my partner for an English project, we were supposed to work together this morning but I had Trinket’s appointment so we had to cancel. Keyleth said it would be a good idea to bring him here so we could work some.” 

“That true!” Keyleth called, slightly too loud and overzealous, from the table before starting to babble about their meeting and the chemistry incident to seemingly no one in particular. This seemed to calm him down if only a little bit. 

But Percy was still thinking about what Vex had called him. She had said brother. And suddenly it all made sense, the voices, the similarity in looks. They were related! As he stared he started picking out details that they shared. The sheer amount was staggering and Percy figured that if they weren’t twins then they could have only been born a year or so apart. 

“I am sorry if I am imposing in any way,” Percy started shoving his shaking hands into his pocket, a detail that Vex didn’t seem to miss, “I can of course leave if that is what you want. I do not wish to be an intruder here.” 

He opened his mouth to respond but Vex cut him off with a jab to his ribs, “Of course not Percy darling, my brother is just an asshole.” She gave him another one of those smiles that didn’t quite reach her eyes before dragging Vax back to his seat. Percy watched them for a moment before he felt a hand at his arm. 

He looked down to see that Pike was still there, a detail that he had forgotten in the minute that it’d been since she’d last spoke. “Percy can I speak with you outside for a moment?” He swallowed again and nodded his head. He turned back as he followed her out front just in time to see Vex’s eye’s following them before whipping back to Keyleth who was in the midst of telling some story. 

As he walked out into the frigid winter night air he suddenly realized that in all the commotion inside he had managed to not only sweat all the way through his suit jacket but also all the way to his actual coat. With a sudden franticness he tore both of them off and flung them onto the ground at his feet. He doubled over gasping at air, feeling his lungs suddenly tighten and compress as if his body was just now catching up with everything that had happened inside. 

He spluttered and coughed, trying to get air into his lungs but they remained stubbornly empty. He fell onto the ground, feeling the cold seep through his pants into his legs but he didn’t care. Sudden hot tear pushed themselves out of his eyes and he grabbed at his hair. He had just been through all this he didn’t want to do it all again dammit!

He wanted to go home. He wanted to run away. He wanted to leave this place and never come back. He wished he had just said no to Vex. He wished he hadn’t gotten out of bed. He wished that Anna had killed him. 

For the second time this night Percy felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him. But these were much more gentle then Grog’s had been.“Percy, hey, hey, hey, it’s ok” Pike’s voice was soft and kind against him and he suddenly found himself leaning into her small frame. She murmured to him softly, whispering kind words and assurances to him. 

He didn’t know how long they sat out there waiting for his panic attack to finally fade back in his subconscious, but he knew that it was long enough that people would be coming out to check on them if they hadn’t already. But, when he looked around it was still just him and Pike. 

“It’s been a while since you’ve had to deal with that hasn’t it,” he laughed without any real humour, looking up into Pike’s concerned face. 

She huffed out a soft laugh, “Been some time but glad to know that what I said to you ten years ago still works.” Percy smiled at that before staring back at the front door. “Vex’ahlia doesn’t know does she?” 

“No. Of course she doesn’t know.” 

“That makes sense,” she sighed moving to give him some small amount of space, “It’s a pretty heavy thing to share with a stranger.” Percy nodded but didn’t look away from the door. “I almost called you when I heard about the court case you know?” This did make him turn and he found Pike sitting there staring back at him in that same strange way the Vex stared at him, like she could see through him into his soul. “Are you alright Percival?”

It took him a moment for him to find his voice, and when he did it came out scratchy. “No Dr. Pike I am not alright.” For a moment he considered telling her about everything that had happened, about meeting Vex and the instant infatuation, about the nightmares and the Gray Day. But as he opened his mouth he lost his nerve and shut it again. She didn’t need to hear about his problems, he didn’t need to burden them onto anyone else. 

They sat there together in silence for a few more minutes before Pike tentatively stuck her hand into his and slowly guided him to his feet. “You don’t have to go back in you know,” she said pulling out a set of keys from her pocket, “I could take you home and let everyone know that something came up.” 

A part of him jumped for joy at the offer. That was all he wanted to do, run away and abandon this whole night. But another part of him, a smaller part wanted to go back inside. To get to know these strange people, because if he was being honest with himself. He was lonely and he needed friends right now. Plus, he wanted to get to know Vex. Wanted to see what she was really like. 

So wordlessly he pulled Pike towards the door and with one small squeeze from her he started walking towards the door. And as he did so, snow began to fall, a wet and fluffy snowfall. Just like what he had once played in as a boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear that Percy will have a much happier time next chapter! Let me know what y'all think!


	7. Dinner, Bike Rides, and Late Night Chats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all guess who isn't dead! I have no excuse for this took so long but hey it's long as hell so mild silver lining? Maybe? Hopefully the next one will be more timely on it's posting but I can't make any promises. I hope though that you guys like it!

He should have left, he knew that as soon as he walked into the room. Immediately the voices and laughter that had filled the massive space went silent as all eyes turned towards the opened door. Keyleth, Vax, and the short man who Percy had never gotten the name of were all staring at him intently. Keyleth with a look of poorly hidden worry, Vax with flat out contempt, and oddly enough the man with what could have been a strange sort of enjoyment and amusement, different than it had been when he first came in. 

Percy didn’t look at Vex. 

He glanced at Pike who was currently looking like she was trying to find a way to break the ice, and failing. “I’m going to go to the restroom,” Percy murmured just loud enough for all of them to hear and turned right back around still pointedly ignoring Vex who he was sure was actively trying to catch his eye.

He half walked half ran to the room and after running up to the first mirror he saw he immediately stripped off his coat and his waistcoat, and after a moment of thought his shirt too. For the first time he felt the fire that had been burning in his skin lessen a little. He sighed heavily enjoying the momentary release and leaned his head down onto the cool porcelain of the sink. In less than the span of a day he was having two breakdowns in a bathroom. Even for him, this was something of a new low. 

He shouldn’t be here. He knew that now. Last night’s dream was a portend for the events of today; he realized that now. The dream was a reminder that his life, his past, was too much for anyone to deal with. 

He should walk out of the bathroom, out of the restaurant, and then out of these people’s lives. Or well, most of them until after this project was done, but that was just semantics. He had finally managed to resolve this within himself when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He whirled around so fast that his glasses nearly flew off his face, and he came face to face with the short man who had been on the table earlier. The one with the weirdly gleeful expression. 

“So, Percy de something or other was it,” he said, looking for all the world that he wasn’t in a bathroom with a shirtless man, “Can I call you Percy?” 

Percy spluttered for a second trying to figure out just what the hell was happening, but the man just sped on without stopping, “I have been sent here by the illustrious chef, blessed be the beard on his chin, Grog Strongjaw, whom you may know of as Phillip, and by the love of my life Dr. Pike Trickfoot, that they refuse to serve us our meals until you join us. Now that being said they didn’t say that you had to be clothed for it so if you would like you could come out naked or whatever it is that you are doing. If you choose not to come out for my message Vax’ildan will come in to give you this same message, only his will be much more well…” at this he paused and gave Percy a knowing look, “Well you saw how he looked at you earlier. Now, you have two minutes.” With that and a small flourish he left just as he came. 

Percy stared at where he had just been standing. Honestly he wasn’t entirely sure if that whole exchange had even happened or if he’d finally had a mental breakdown and had hallucinated the whole thing. Before he had time to try and figure out if he was dreaming or not the door opened up again and his head poked through. With a wink and a wide grin he said, “Oh yeah and Vex wouldn’t let them eat either for some reason.” He gave him a sharp smile and an eye roll that seemed to suggested that both he and Percy were privy to some secret. 

Percy stared aghast. What in all the gods had he gotten himself into? But well, he did say that food was being withheld, and as someone who had several siblings he knew just how annoying such a threat could be. So wordlessly, mind still reeling from everything that had just happened in the last ten minutes, he picked up his clothes and put them back on. 

His shirt clung to him in a way that only happened when sweat cooled. The fabric stuck to his back in a slimy way that made his skin crawl and seriously consider going back out without his shirt on, but ultimately decided against that. He buttoned up his waistcoat with a sigh and left the bathroom to lead him to his fate. There was no leaving now. How unfortunate. 

With one final breath, in some vain attempt to slow the throbbing beat of his heart, Percy steeled himself and walked out the door, head held high and shoulders back. Immediately, the smell of grog’s cooking knocked him back. It was...it was... _ intoxicating _ . As Percy wandered along in a daze his mind whirled trying to make sense of the array of smells that hung in the air. 

There were just too many for Percy to handle, and it only grew stronger and stronger as each step brought him closer and closer to that table, now once more alight with laughter and voices. Gods, the amount of times this place had gone from dead silence to a cacophony was just unnatural. 

As he got closer he could see that the table had been ladened with what could only be described as a feast. A large almost cauldron like pot sat one one edge, steam rising in lazy swirls from the thick stew within. Next to it in a painted ceramic serving bowl was a pasta that shimmered in the low light, resting lightly on a thin sauce of tomatoes and chucks of meat, a bowl of hearty grated cheese next to it. Beyond that thick loaves of crusty, golden brown bread were currently being torn into pieces by Grog as he passed them out onto people’s plates. Even more food was stuffed and crammed into spare spots on the open table, a salad the glimmered with pomegranate seeds, chilled bottles of wine and champagne glistening with condensation within metal buckets, and oddly enough a three litre bottle of Dr. Pepper that had its own champagne bucket. 

As Percy sat down in the only available seat left across from Vex, he gaped at it all. He looked around him and saw that despite the fact that there were hunks of still steaming bread on all their plates, true to Scanlan’s word, Vex, Grog, and Pike hadn’t let the other’s start eating. There he was, a stranger in their home, in their lives, and they had waited. For  _ him  _ no less. 

Jeez, Percy thought to himself, I really am fucked if basic human decency is enough to make me emotional!

He looked up again just in time to look Vex full in the eyes. They simmered and burned with a joyful flame and Percy realized that these strange people really were her family. And just looking at her, just seeing that joy in her eyes, was almost enough to make Percy want to be apart of their family too. 

The dinner passed in a blur for Percy. It was something with the atmosphere about all these people, the raw happiness and the  _ life _ that positively oozed off of them. It was something of a strange thing for him. Had it not been for Vax glaring a burning hole in his school everytime he thought Percy didn’t see, the entire thing may have actually made Percy feel alive. 

But everytime he saw that harsh, brittle look on Vex’s twin his heart gave a jolt as he remembered that despite knowing Pike and despite knowing Grog, he was still just an outsider given a rare glimpse of the kingdom beyond the gates. 

The others weren’t nearly so bad though. Keyleth spent nearly the entire time chatting to him about seemingly anything that popped into her head. From what they were doing in chem the following week (he didn’t know but hoped that it wouldn’t involve any near death experiences), to what it was like growing up in Maine (tactfully not quite answered before asking her where she was from which launched a massive conversation about her life back on a Reservation), and of course just how he knew both Grog and Pike. 

The former of which was very easy to explain and he told all of them about how they had met at the forge and had worked together on a few projects. “Oh yeah, this man is a maniac on the anvil,” Grog crowed, “I mean when we was doing the bits where we had to work together I could barely keep up! It was like he was in his own bubble!” He then spent the next twenty minutes ranting about how amazing the final pieces had come out to be and how amazing of a smith Percy was. All of which, Percy bore with a permanent flush and haphazard stuttered attempts to point out how most of the heavy lifting had been on Grog’s part and not his but the large man would have none of it. 

Pike of course had been much more challenging to explain. Or at least, that’s what Percy had thought, but he was amazed to find out that the small woman had quite a bit of skill in deception. She wove them all a tale about how embarrassing the whole ordeal had been for Percy. “I mean how many people break their arm because their bike  _ wasn’t _ moving,” she’d laughed, giving him a playfully sock on his arm, “I mean come on!” 

He took all of the resulting laughter and jibes in turn. He tried to explain to them all about the mechanics of the so called “incident” but they wouldn’t have it. No matter how many times he told them that the problem was that the bike had come to an unexpected halt just simply wasn’t enough for them all. But even still, he laughed right along side with them. 

But of course, all good things must come to an end and before too long everyone began to make their excuses to draw the evening to a close. A part of Percy was glad for it, the chance to go home and not have to fake his way through it, but another larger part of him wanted to beg them all to stay longer. He found that despite himself, he had grown to enjoy their company. But, he kept his mouth shut as everyone began to say their goodbyes to each other as he watched from the sidelines. 

“You’re a good man de Rolo,” the short man said to him as he left, who’s name he had discovered was Scanlan, clapping him on the side of his arm, “Hope everything goes well with your internship and give your sister my best.” Percy stared aghast at him as he made his way out into the cold night, a cheery tune being whistled out from his lips. He hadn’t told them about his internship, and he definitely hadn’t mentioned anything about Cassandra. Moreover, what did he mean by that? ‘Give her his best’, did he know her? More importantly though, did he know Percy? 

He felt his heart constrict in his chest as he stared after him, torn between letting it go and between chasing after him and finding out just who the hell he was. But before he could decide, he felt someone at his back. 

“I’m glad you came Whitey, you should join us next week,” Vax said, voice laced through with a false joy above a layer of flint and steel. Immediately a vacuum of silence filled the hall as everyone that was left turned to gape at him. 

“Vax’ildan ” Vex snarled, coming over and roughly pulling him away from Percy, “What the fuck is your problem?” 

“What are you talking about,” he laughed giving her a playful shove before turning back to Percy, “It was cause of your hair, you know that right Perc?” The look in his eyes was more than enough to let Percy know it was very much not about the hair, but he didn’t need this scene. 

“Of course, it’s not the first time someone has called me that,” he gave a fake chuckle, “And I doubt it’ll be the last.” 

“Exactly Stubbs,” Vax said giving him one last dark look that didn’t match his tone, “Don’t take everything so literal!” Vex gave him a dirty look before shoving him away with just enough force that made Percy wonder why she was taking the insult so harshly. Wasn’t it him that should be offended? 

“Come on Percy I’ll take you home,” she snapped without looking back at her brother or any of the others, and laced one arm through his and leading him out the door. He stuttered and stammered something about not needing a ride, and really there was no reason he couldn’t just call a cab, and honestly he didn’t want to put her out no matter how much the contact was enough to make his head spin, but she ignored him. 

The ride back was no less gut wrenching and fear inducing but there was much more of a tension to it. She didn’t stop and examine the world around her at the red lights and stop signs, no she just glared out, her back and shoulders full of a tension that Percy didn’t understand. 

So, when they finally made it back to Percy’s parking lot he expected her to practically kick him off the bike and storm away to go…well go do something that wasn’t following him up to his apartment. But yet that’s where they were now, on the doorstep of his apartment, Percy suddenly very aware of just how nice his apartment building was. 

“Can I get you anything,” he said softly unlocking the door and pushed it open. “I have coffee or tea or…” he trailed off as he flicked on the light and had the sudden realization that he hadn’t cleaned his apartment in well over a week. He winced at the collection of dirty plates and half drunk coffee mugs that littered his coffee table and the variety of laundry that had somehow migrated out of his room and into his living room. More than a few college textbooks and open notebooks had taken up residence on his couch. “I’m sorry about the mess,” he stammered, his face burning hotly as he rushed around picking up his laundry and racing it into his room as he continued to rant and give halfhearted explanations and excuses.

“It’s fine,” Vex mutteredly throwing herself onto the couch somehow having found a free space not covered by schoolwork, “I’m sorry about my asshole brother.” That made Percy stop in his mad dash to make his living room more presentable.

“If you’re worried that I took offense,” he started, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“It’s not that,” she interrupted flopping backwards onto the couch and covering her eyes with an arm, “It’s that he’s such a goddamn  _ prick _ ” This last part was said with such frustration and annoyance that Percy couldn’t help himself. He threw himself into an armchair across from here and he laughed. 

He laughed and laughed and laughed. It was a crazed and somewhat maniacal noise even to his own ears and gods only knew how Vex took it. As he laughed he occasionally watched as Vex’s expression change from shock, to worry, to annoyance, which only made him laugh all the harder. 

Finally when the laughter had subsided down to just the occasional giggle and Vex’s face was the epitome of confusion and anger, Percy finally said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he paused again as another small fit of laughter overtook him, “It’s just that I haven’t heard someone so angry at their sibling since I last saw my sister and you just,” more laughter, “You look just like her!” 

Again his laughter overtook him, and he realized that he was coming off as more than a little it insane. But gods, this was the first time he had really, properly laughed in so long. And it felt good, it felt really good. 

“You are easily one of the strangest people I have ever met,” Vex finally said after gaping at him, a look in her eye that was more mischievous than anything else and that made Percy feel things in his stomach that he hadn’t ever felt before, “And I have met Scanlan Shorthalt.” At this reminder of the small man Percy sobered up a little, remembering his final statement to him 

“Yes he is very strange,” he mused, his head suddenly full of implications and fears, “Who is he anyway?” 

Vex just shrugged and looked around his apartment with a cunning eye, that amusement that had been there just a moment before gone as if it hadn't been there at all. “He’s came along with Grog and Pike when my brother and I first met them all. Keyleth joined in a little while after that,” she said looking back at him and then with a harshness he wasn’t expecting, “You live in a very nice apartment.” 

Percy flinched at the sudden topic switch and the almost accusatory nature of her statement. “Yeah,” he said lamely fiddling around with some lint on his chair as a sudden silence filled the room. He watched in her as he tried to come up with something,  _ anything _ , to say as she began to make her way to her feet. He didn’t want her to leave angry at him or whatever she was feeling towards him.

“I, umm, never wished you a happy birthday,” He said suddenly shooting up to his feet making her shoulders tense, “I meant to say something at the party but it slipped my mind.” 

She stared and started to say something but he waved her off as he rushed out of the room and into his workshop. “I actually have something for you,” he called over his shoulder. He went into his workshop and grabbed what he had been working on the other day and prayed that this would come off as sweet and not as creepy. 

When he came back into the room she was still standing, her arms folded across her chest, her jacket already on, and the motorcycle helmet dangling from one long finger. He licked his lips and after only a moment's hesitation walked over and practically thrust the small box towards her. “Sorry I didn’t have anything to wrap it in,” he whispered, not looking at her as she stared at the box. 

For one terrible second he didn’t think she was gonna take it and just leave him there, but before too long she sighed and set down the helmet and sat back down on the couch. She opened up box, and with hands that were shaking slightly pulled out what he had made. 

“Blue jay feathers,” she breathed staring at them. Resting inside the box was a handmade brooch that Percy had finally finished shortly before leaving that evening for dinner. Painted with a stunning hyperrealism, he had attached the three thin strips of metal to a small hairpin so that they could be worn in her hair. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with awe, and in that moment he found her so incredibly beautiful that his heart ached in his chest. “Percy how did you,” she started to say but trailed off as she pulled them out and realized just what they were. She made small noise that made Percy’s chest constrict even more. 

“I, uh, noticed that you wore them on the first day of the semester,” he said rubbing at his neck, “And after Keyleth mentioned it was your birthday I started…” Whatever he had been going to say next was cut off as she rushed out of her seat and pulled him into an embrace so tight Percy honestly may have swooned just a little. It was everything a hug should be, everything he had read about. It was heartfelt and warm and filled with emotion, something that Percy hadn’t felt in far too long. 

It ended far too quickly in his head, but he didn’t say anything as she pulled away. “Percy these are amazing, thank you so much! And no matter what my brother says you are definitely invited back next week!” 

She smiled up at him, a smile so filled with awe and joy and so many other emotions that Percy found himself saying, “It would be my pleasure.” 

Shortly thereafter after he had affixed it into her hair and hugged him one more time she swept out of his apartment with the promise that they would meet up soon to actually work on the project. But before she left she gave him a present of her own. Into his phone she put her number and told him to shoot her a text in a little while after she made it home. 

He stared after her, his apartment suddenly colder in her absence. But even still, he remembered the feeling of her arms wrapped around him, and felt a grin splitting his face. And so with fingers that shook just a little he pulled out his phone and called up his sister.

“Hey Cass,” he breathed, “I think I may have finally found a friend.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't I say Percy would have a better time round this chapter? But anywho, kudos are always the best way to let me know you like it, but if you got a moment maybe consider leaving a comment. They're a good way to get me to write faster!


	8. Vex’ahlia Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's not dead! I'm so sorry this took so long to get out but I really do hope that you all enjoy it! It's shorter than what I normally right But i just wanted to give you a look in on the other side so to speak. These'll happen a few times in the story with other characters.
> 
> EDIT!!!!!  
Added a little extra paragraph to the end to make things a little more succinct

Vex was going to kill him. She was mad. So incredibly mad at that prick who was protected by one feeble little door. She wasn’t used to this kind of anger, at least not anger that was aimed at him. Of course she had been angry with him before, they had been attached at the hip ever since they were born, it was impossible for them to not get mad at each other. But this? This anger was different. 

This wasn’t frustration or annoyance or a bad day. Anger wasn’t even the right word for it, not really. Vax had been awful, just awful, to Percy and for what reason? Vex just couldn’t figure it out. He had no right, no right, to be such an asshole. 

“Do you have to be such a fucking prick,” she snarled slamming the door behind her, storming up to him where he stood facing her. His face was bland and impassive and gods did she just want to smack him. She very nearly did as she stared at a face that was so much like her own. Her hand itched and ached in expectation of it but she tamped the urge down. Buried it down and piled onto it the rage and anger she was feeling. 

He regarded her for a few tense moments as she stood there, chest heaving before he turned from her. And that, the sheer arrogance and the rudeness of it she very nearly threw herself at him. But instead she stalked in after him, staring daggers into his back 

“Took you awhile to get back here,” he said plopping himself into an armchair and looking up at her expectantly, “Anything I should know?” She blinked. Once. Twice. How dare--

“No,” she spat storming up to him, grateful that for once Trinket wasn’t there to be a giant furry block in the middle of their tiny living room, “No, you do not get to dodge my question or ask me why I took so long to get back! Why in the actual fuck were you such an asshole today? Percy was nothing but polite and kind at dinner and you were nothing but a piece of shit!” With this exclamation she aimed a punch at his shoulder. It was a weak punch they both knew it, an angry one sure but a weak one nonetheless, and he caught her wrist without much effort. 

They stayed that way for a moment, locked in a tableau of siblingly wrath, her hand stuck in his closed fist. Her dark eyes were locked onto his, steam all but physically pouring out of her ears. He stared at her just as she stared at him but his eyes were emotionless mirrors, reflecting back onto her nothing but her own emotions.

But Vax was the one to blink first. He let out a sigh and released her hand which fell limply to Vex’s side. He rubbed at his face with one hand and Vex noticed just how tired he looked. His dark eyes were glassy and beneath them were deep circles that told of many nights gone without sleep. This wasn’t the way to do this, she realized as she stared at and into him. Whatever he had done, however bad it was, could have waited until the morning. This was his one night off, his one night not spent saving people’s lives.

She was still angry, still furious, but--

“He has Saundor’s eyes,” he said simply turning away from her, eyes going to the window, “He has Saundor’s eyes and Syldor’s mannerisms.” 

Vex’s blood went cold. She thought back to Percy, thought hard about his blue eyes, the way he held himself and with a sudden painful jolt she realized that Vax was right. Saundor’s eyes had been a completely different color but that didn’t matter, they both had that unfathomable depth to them, that melancholy that seemed to pierce right through her. That with his suits, his prim and proper conditionings? Dear gods he was just like Syldor had been, when they last saw him. 

She lowered herself on unsteady legs onto their couch. It was an old and patched thing with too little stuffing and too sharp springs, but she barely noticed that. Percy was a mix of two of the worst men on earth. 

Fuck.

The more she thought about it the more she saw the similarities between. How surprised he’d been when she showed up with the bike, that had been Saundor. Those suits, those damn suits, the ones Keyleth and her had laughed about, God they were just like her father’s.

Fuck. 

She opened her mouth, opened it to say something. To say anything but she found that her voice was gone, dried up to ashes in her mouth. She had the sudden urge to rip out the feathers he had made her, the ones that had made her laugh and smile. But as she reached up to do just that she felt something cool and wet press against her arm. She turned and saw Trinket there, staring up at her with those big soulful brown eyes. He whined and pushed at her arm and she gave him a few scritches beneath his chin. She looked up again to find Vax staring at her, his eyes filled with concern and worry. 

“But Pike and Grog,” she said, finding her voice once more, Trinket’s presence being enough of a bolster for her, “They knew him. They said he was kind.” 

“Pike said she only knew him for a few days before he left,” Vax said, taking a seat next to her, “And as much as I love him, Grog isn’t exactly the hardest person to fool. Remember that online merchant who told him that in exchange for his bank information he’d give him a magic potion?” 

Vex winced at that, remembering all the pain that particular adventure had caused for all of them, but she couldn’t deny that he had a point. She rested her head down against his shoulder and let out a sigh. “But he came tonight,” she said softly, “Neither of them would ever do that. And did you see the way he was eating?” Vax laughed at this and after a moment Vex joined him. 

It was an interesting sight to say the least. Before he had eaten he had made sure that everything was neatly placed before him, fork on the left, knife and spoon on the right, napkin folded delicately on his lap. They had all stared at him when he wasn’t looking, each of them expecting him to eat like a nobleman. But the moment after he took his first bite of Grog’s food he was like an animal. Tearing into the food with a savagery and a desperation that had made Vex wonder just when the hell he had last eaten.Grog of course had been overjoyed by this and made sure to give him heaping helpings of each dish, and it was only after a stunning fourth plate of lamb pasta and an ungodly amount of bread that Percy seemed to come back to himself. Gods the way he had flushed red, Vex felt a warmth blossom in her belly at the thought of what else she could do to make him that pink. 

“That is very true,” Vax laughed giving her a playful rub on her head, “Dear old dad would have never done something like that.” He sobered a little bit at that and pulled away from her a bit and let out a shallow breath. “I was an asshole wasn’t I?”

“Oh completely so and I will be paying you back for it.” 

He let out another half laugh and turned to look at her, his eyes sad and worried again. “I know I was an asshole, it’s just well I wasn’t there for you with--” he started to say before Vex rolled her eyes and pushed him with her shoulder.

“No starting those conversations this late,” she chastised, rising to her feet with a chipperness she didn’t really feel, “You have an all day shift tomorrow and need to go to bed!” 

He sighed at this but let himself be pulled up. He hugged her though, before going off to bed, one of those hard, rib cracking ones that siblings gave to one another. “Goodnight Stubby,” he said giving her a kiss on the forehead, “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“I’m gonna invite Percy over to watch movies for our project,” she said as she watched him walk off, “And you aren’t going to be an asshole you understand?” 

He just waved at this and Vex flipped him off. She waited a few minutes before walking to her own room, Trinket trotting along happily behind her. And when she crashed into bed he jumped up and joined her. “Oh Trinket,” she murmured, feeling sleep begin to drag her away, “Your mommy really is fucked isn’t she?” 

But his only answer was a snore.

And that night, as she lay there, on a mattress that was too old and to hard to really get comfortable on, she dreamed of Saundor and Slydor. She dreamed of them and of the blue eyed boy who was so much like them. And who was so very much not like them at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I'll write a chapter that doesn't have a lot of angst in it. Probably won't be the next one though. I really hope you all like it and remember that comments give me life.


End file.
